The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-07-16


Some Interesting Facts.
On the length, strength, free lateral
motion and perfect mobility of the
thumb depends the power of the human
hand The thumb is called the pollex
because of its strength, and that
strength is necessary to the power of
the hand, being equal to that OF all the
fingers. Without the fleshy ball of the
thumb the power of the fingers would
avail nothing, and accordingly the
large ball formed by the muscles of the
thumb is the distinguishing character of
the human hand.
The origin of the word "thumb' is
probably from the Sanscrit root taumi,
to grow large, and connected with the
Latin tumeo, to swell. In Anglo-Sax-
on the word was thuma, in Danish
tommel finger, and it has also been
termed antidioit, from its position and
uses. The Greeks called it anticheir,
or another hand. The Romans knew
it as pollex, a noun derived from the
word police, to be strong, to excel,
thus indicating both its general excel
lence and its special superiority over
the other component parts of the hand.
The thumb is no mean member of
the human body, for in the brilliant
days of Rome, when the multitude had
to be pleased by displays provided for
them in the amphitheaters, it had
1ffa nd Inath -.
gle movement, slight infection of its
joints one way or the other, settled the
fate of many gladiator. We have an
acknowledgment of the entire SUBJ
mission of one person to the stronger
will of another in the term "under
ones thumb" an expression that has
become quite classic, for does not the
Edinburgh Rertew say: "Gunhilda
soon had him completely under her
thumb; and instead of his making her,
she unmade him, and was in every re-
spect the evil genius of him and his
children" And Richardson, the nov
elist, also has, "She is obliged to be 81
lent! have her under my thumb"
The thumb has in past days played
an important part, too, in bargain
making. Tacitus, for example, tells
us that certain barbarian Kings, when
they desired to make specially firm
and lasting contract, were in the habit
of joining their right hands and twist
ing each others thumbs, or tying them
together with cord, and when the
pressure forced the blood to appear at
the tips, they then pricked them with
some sharp INSTRUMENT and mutually
sucked them. The act was doubtless
meant as an emblem to express their
desire to secure lasting peace by ex-
tracing the hot and fiery blood from
that member, so important in handling
arms. In later times we find the Celtic
and Gothic races practicing some thing
like the same mode. They swore upon
the thumb. Thus Allan Ramsay sings,
Though kith and kin and a'should revile thee,
There's my thumb, I'll er beguie thee
II two persons respectively licked or
wetted their thumbs and joined the
one to the other the bargain or agree
ment was held to be firm and binding
In Scottish records DEGREES are to be
found sustaining sales upon summon
ses of thumb licking, the fact of that
ceremony having been gone through
at the time of bargaining being con-
sidered to constitute valid agree
ment.
Such was a custom really prevalent
: among farmers and tradesmen in that
country some fifty years ago in markets
and places of sale The wet thumb
was token of rectitude of intention
seldom falsifed, and the man who
broke his word after confirming it by
that sign was looked upon as one whom
no oaths could bind.
At one time wearing a ring on the
thumb was sign of authority. The
word "thumb ring occurs in Shake
speare, in lst Henry w., and A.,
where old Falstaff says, "a plague of
signing and grief! 1t blows man up
like bladder When l was about thy
years, Hal, was not an eagles talon
in the waist; could have crept into
an alderman's thumb ring. Such an
article was actually worn by those
civic functionaries in past days and
perhaps AS sign of respect entertain
ed for the thumb itself. 1.-The "ling OF
rings"-the wedding rings now
worn on the fourth digit of the hand,
perhaps from notion that was held
by the ''leeches" Of bygone days that
an artery went from it straight to the
heart; but our maternal ancestors, less
romantic. it would seem. than their fair
descendants. often wore that charmed
circlet on the thumb. Although the
ring was placed upon the fourth finger
in church it was not always allowed to
remain there. English ladies were
wont to transfer the golden fetter to
their thumbs, a custom perhaps origin
ated by some high born bride whose
finger like that of Sucking heroine
WAS so small the ring
Would mot stay on which they did bring.
II was teo wide peck"